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Vilyx Valaar
Vilyx Valaar, The Sapphire Which Dances Upon The Sea, or Old Wormtongue to his detractors, is a ruling Triarch of Volantis and formerly Admiral of the Volantene Fleet. Appearance As any Triarch of Volantis, the blood of Old Valyria runs strong in his veins. In his youth he was considered dashingly handsome; However, years filled with the stresses and hedonism which accompanies a life of power and privilege have taken his toll on him. His hair is silver-gold but balding on top, and his once porcelain like face is withered and aged with cracks like old stone: Yet his violet eyes portray a warm, fatherly feeling behind them, as if he could be a child's favorite uncle or grandfather. His sword hand is missing, and in it's place he wears an elegantly adorned golden hook, studded with pearls and rubies. (The hook isn't used for combat insomuch as day-to-day tasks). He has grown overweight, and walks with a cane: Due to his ailing health he is rarely seen outside of his estate upon the fifth floor of the Merchant's House, preferring to have his envoys, servants, and his two children make most appearances outside of Volantene political events in person on his behalf. Biography Not much is truly known about Vilyx's youth. Due to his political power and dubious affiliations, many records from his past have been either destroyed or altered for political expediency. It is known that Vilyx gained his status and position via a long and prosperous career in the Volantene Navy, to which he rose to the rank of Admiral - Not without the help of his pure-blooded Old Valyrian family line and family wealth as merchant landowners. Vilyx was well known for his ability to negotiate intricate alliances with enemies and friends alike, which led to him developing many complex trade agreements and negotiations which helped any ship flying Volantis's sails to be more or less unhindered by pirates or raiders of any sort, vastly increasing Volantis's position as a trade hub and earning him the name translated roughly from High Valyrian as, "The Sapphire Which Dances Upon The Sea". Since Vilyx has been in power, nearly none have attempted to challenge his seat as Triarch. It is more or less an open secret that Vilyx routinely buys out elections, and those who have challenged him in the past have had "accidents" known to happen to them. Vilyx uses all manner of corruption to keep power over the city - However, the free populace of Volantis generally are blissfully unaware of this as Vilyx keeps the masses pacified via his own flavor of "bread and circuses": Vilyx owns every gambling house, fighting ring, brothel, and bathhouse in the city as well as the Merchant's House itself, and has overwhelming influence and all but command of the Volantene fleet. He is also abreast of every and anything which happens on the Western side of Volantis and along the docks districts, and due to his previous career of travelling the seas has grown a sizeable information network of spies and informants stretching across many far corners of the world, particularly within island or coastal areas. Although a former admiral of the Volantene fleet he is a member of the Elephant party, and has used this power and position within Volantis's navy to work with Elephant merchant landowners in importing all manners of pleasures and luxuries from around the world in to and out of Volantis and vastly improving the city's status as a major trade hub. As a result, the formerly impovershed Western part of the city has over time become a prosperous hub of tourism and trade, catering to every hedonistic pleasure and vice imaginable. Vilyx and his main political rival, Viseron Naegaris (NPC player, another Triarch) have in reality become allies behind closed doors: Their political rivalry is purely for show at this point. They have both been in power for many years and while at first were quite staunch opponents (and their feuds are quite notorious), they both know that keeping the other in power means that if a third Triarch steps out of line, both of their votes can veto out that of the third Triarch. As a result of this alliance, typically the third Triarch is inevitably a puppet candidate secretly chosen by either Vilyx or Viseron to increase the Tigers' or Elephants' (and thus, their)spheres of political influence within the city. His personal ship is known as The Stillborn, and is considered the "Voice of the Sapphire". Timeline *308: Born to Aeryx and Jalaena Valaar, two wealthy Volantene merchant landowners *327: Joined the Volantene Navy as an officer. He uses his strategic business mind to negotiate a wide network of agreements and pacts between pirate raiders and Volantene naval ships and creating for himself a large information network spanning many of the port cities of the known world. He eventually climbs the ranks to the title of Admiral of the Volantene Fleet. *339: Marries Daenys Valaar *340: His son Aerys is born *344: His daughter Rhaenys Valaar is born *346: His son Aerion Valaar is born *347: Retires and stakes his claim in politics, using his vast successes among improving the economy of Volantis to gain power with the Elephants and become elected Triarch of Volantis. His power is repeatedly tried and tested early on by his political opponent of the rival Tiger faction, Viseron Naegaris, and their early rivalries and political clashes from these days are quite well known. *348: Uses his power to expand the economic power of the Western side of the city, over time building it from poor slums to a respectable vacation area and trade hub while employing cut-throat business practices, opening many elaborate brothels, gambling houses, taverns, and the like, and in time personally purchasing and renovating the famed Merchant's House on the Western side of the city. *355: A failed power grab and assassination attempt by a political rival within the Elephants leaves his wife Daenys and his son Aerys dead and his daughter Rhaenys permanently scarred across her neck and barely able to speak. *370: Vilyx Valaar is found dead in his Merchant's House penthouse by a slave. Rumors abound as to the cause. Family Tree *Father, Aeryx Valaar: Former Captain in the Volantene Fleet and landowner, deceased. *Mother, Jaelana Valaar: Wife of Aeryx, deceased. **'Vilyx Valaar': Current Triarch of Volantis, member of the Elephant party. **Wife, Daenys Valaar: Murdered during a failed assassination attempt on Vilyx's life ***Son, Aerys Valaar: Murdered during a failed assassination attempt on Vilyx's life ***Daughter, Rhaenys Valaar: Maimed in a failed assassination attempt. Now a mute. ***Son, Aerion Valaar: Ambassador to Westeros on behalf of Volantis Household *Viseron Naegaris *Serle (Gift - Sums, Trait - Infertile): Is a former slave and a eunuch, and personal servant of Rhaenys Valaar. He is swarthy skinned, tall and of slender frame, with black hair worn in a topknot and large brown eyes, with a small tattoo of a quill and parchment beneath his right cheek. He was given his freedom so that there would be no controversy regarding his serving Rhaenys in Westeros or any of the Free Cities, but nevertheless he serves Rhaenys faithfully by choice. He is quite content with his place in serving Rhaenys as a comfortable slave in all but name, bearing with him at all times a form of chalk board bound with a leather cover as if it were to be opened like a book, so that Rhaenys may write what she has to say and have him read it when she must speak to anyone for any length of time. He is quite educated on the intricacies of politics, philosophy, mathematics, and other forms of learning and serves as an advisor of sorts to Rhaenys. The two are known to frequently play Cyvasse together. *Ser Robert Thorne Category:House of Valaar Category:Volantene Category:Essosi Category:Deceased Characters